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ArticleImpact of ultrasonication and high-pressure homogenization on the structure and characteristics of emulsion-templated oleogels stabilized by low-density lipoprotein/pectin complexes(Elsevier Ltd., 2025-05)This study focused on developing high-quality oleogels based on pectin (PE) and egg yolk low-density lipoprotein (LDL) using the emulsion-template approach. The properties of PE/LDL-stabilized emulsions structured using ultrasonication (US) and high-pressure homogenization (HPH), and their corresponding oleogels were compared. The particle size, apparent viscosity, microstructure, contact angle, and storage stability of emulsions fabricated by US and HPH were investigated. Additionally, the morphology, rheological and textural properties, and thermal behavior of US- and HPH-based oleogels were analyzed. The results showed that US-fabricated emulsions exhibited smaller particle size (1.88μm), lower viscosity, smaller contact angle (10.4°), and enhanced storage stability compared to HPH-treated emulsions. The US treatment improved interactions between PE and LDL, resulting in more uniform and denser crystalline networks, which effectively entrapped more oil to form stable oleogels. The US-based oleogels at a 1:1 LDL and PE ratio displayed a stronger solid-like structure with higher strength (G′ > 1000 Pa) and reduced oil loss (6.81%) compared to HPH-based oleogels. Furthermore, the US significantly enhanced the textural and thermal properties of oleogels over HPH. These findings highlight the US as a superior technique for constructing PE/LDL-based oleogels with enhanced functional properties, offering a promising method for various food applications.
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ArticleDownsizing plastics, upsizing impact: How microplastic particle size affects Chironomus riparius bioturbation activity(Elsevier Inc., 2025-02-16)Microplastic contamination in freshwater systems poses serious ecological risks, yet the role of particle size in shaping these impacts remains underexplored. This study investigates the influence of microplastic size on bioturbation activities of Chironomus riparius larvae, a process essential for sediment dynamics and nutrient cycling. Employing luminophore sediment profile imaging (LSPI), we tracked the vertical distribution of polyethylene particles within sediment layers, focusing on two distinct size ranges: small (53–63 μm) and large (250–300 μm) spherical particles. Microplastics (MPs) were introduced at a 0.076% sediment ratio to reflect natural exposure scenarios. Initial findings reveal that both particle sizes undergo downward transport, though with different patterns. Notably, smaller particles demonstrated a more pronounced effect on larval behaviour, appearing frequently in digestive tracts and suggesting increased bioavailability. Temporal analysis showed distinct reworking dynamics for each particle size, with larger particles exhibiting a delayed reworking time compared to the smaller particles. This highlights the critical influence of particle size on the fate and behaviour of MPs in freshwater systems, with smaller particles potentially posing a greater ecological risk due to their quicker and more active incorporation into sedimentary processes. This study provides critical insights into size-specific interactions between MPs and freshwater organisms, enhancing our understanding of their impacts on ecosystem health and sedimentary processes.
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ArticleThe Power of Movement: Testing Animated Infographics on Water Conservation Knowledge(American Association for Agricultural Education, 2025-02-14)Water is a finite resource, necessary for sustaining all facets of life; however, it is often taken for granted. Recognizing a level of risk associated with a diminishing water supply, communicating with the public about their contributions to water issues so they will reduce unnecessary consumption is of utmost importance. This study used an experimental design to test recall of key water facts after engaging with an animated infographic, static infographic, or receiving no visual. The study utilized the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model and the Critical Thinking Style literature as a foundation to further inform how and why individuals process water information and the impact of targeted communication efforts. The findings indicated an animated infographic significantly impacted information recall. In addition, critical thinking style did not moderate the effect. The findings implied the inclusion of strategic communication materials may engage individuals in risk-laden topics to draw attention and increase recall of information. Recommendations for future research include the further examination of how individuals store information for future information processing and reasoning, how critical thinking style may impact media channel selection, and if critical thinking style alters information gathering capacity. Regardless of critical thinking style or type of infographic, this study provided evidence for the creation and use of engaging information visualizations when providing scientific information with the intent of informed decision making around significant issues, like water, in the future.
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ArticleThe population genetics of convergent adaptation in maize and teosinte is not locally restricted(eLife Sciences Publications Ltd, 2025-02-13)What is the genetic architecture of local adaptation and what is the geographic scale over which it operates? We investigated patterns of local and convergent adaptation in five sympatric population pairs of traditionally cultivated maize and its wild relative teosinte (Zea mays subsp. parviglumis). We found that signatures of local adaptation based on the inference of adaptive fixations and selective sweeps are frequently exclusive to individual populations, more so in teosinte compared to maize. However, for both maize and teosinte, selective sweeps are also frequently shared by several populations, and often between subspecies. We were further able to infer that selective sweeps were shared among populations most often via migration, though sharing via standing variation was also common. Our analyses suggest that teosinte has been a continued source of beneficial alleles for maize, even after domestication, and that maize populations have facilitated adaptation in teosinte by moving beneficial alleles across the landscape. Taken together, our results suggest local adaptation in maize and teosinte has an intermediate geographic scale, one that is larger than individual populations but smaller than the species range.
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ArticleNutrition Knowledge Varies by Food Group and Nutrient Among Adults(MDPI, 2025-02-12)The United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) have provided recommendations for healthy eating patterns to meet nutrient needs and reduce chronic disease risk for decades. However, few Americans fully meet these guidelines, especially regarding five shortfall nutrients, and the vegetable, fruit, pulse, whole grain, and dairy food groups. Nutrition knowledge is a modifiable factor associated with improved dietary behavior, yet it is unclear whether individuals with nutrition-related chronic diseases possess greater knowledge. The study objectives were to (1) describe knowledge of 10 nutrient sources across six food groups, and (2) determine predictive factors for nutrient source and food group knowledge. A national sample of 930 adults from an online panel answered demographic, nutrition-disease knowledge, desired benefits from foods, chronic disease status questions, and identified the presence or absence of 10 nutrients in six food groups. Respondents were 77% White, 51% women, and 70% married, with a mean age of 45 years. Nutrition-disease knowledge was higher for those who were older, women, and highly educated. Having a nutrition-related disease, e.g., heart disease, was not predictive of nutrient-disease knowledge. Whole grains had the highest average nutrient knowledge score (6.26 ± 2.5; range 0–10), while vegetables had the lowest (4.89 ± 2.3). Fat food sources were the best known (3.98 ± 1.5; range 0–6), and folate was the least recognized (2.16 ± 1.4). General linear models of survey variables for the six food groups explained 10.2% to 19.4% of nutrient knowledge variation and described 4.7% to 27.1% of differences in food-source scores for the 10 nutrients. Nutrient-disease knowledge had the most significant influence on nutrient source scores. Gaps in understanding nutrient sources suggest the public needs more applied education.